Refining of lead



H. HARRIS.

REFI-NING 0F LEAD. APP'LzcATloN FILED 1AN.29,1920.

Patented May 30, 1922.

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REFINING OF LEAD.

Lirama.

Application led January 29, 1920. `Serial No. 354,852.

To alwzom 'it may concern:

Be it known that I, HENRY HARRIS, a subject of the King of GreatBritain, residing in London, England, have invented certainnew'anduseful Improvements in the Reining of Lead, of which thefollowing is a specification.

The refining lof metals by causing themJ in molten condition to` pass inthin streams thibugh a molten' reagent is known.

It is the object of this invention to provide a suitable apparatus .forapplying this mode of refining, whereby it is easy to treat the metalwith the same reagent several times or with a fresh reagent.

The object is achieved by confining the molten reagent in a verticalcylinder open at both ends and sealedat its lower end by some of therefined molten metal. When the reagent has performedL its functionit'may be allowed to solidify so that the cylindercan be removed andanother put in Vits place to receive fresh reagent.

The accompanying drawings illustrate `a plant embodying the invention,Fig. 1 being a diagram of the plant and Fig. 2 a vertical section drawnto `an enlarged scale through one of the melting pots. v

a is a cast iron pot 'set in a furnace and containing lead. In this potis set a cast iron cylinder splayed out at its upper part where itcontains a suitably perforated dish c. Into this cylinder is introducedthe reagent, yfor instance common salt, the melting point of which hasbeen reduced by admixture of caustic soda (see my application for U. S.patent, Serial No. 354C051). The heat of the furnace,

v may suiiice to keep the reagent molten until air-tight, a pipe eterminating at the bottom' of the pot and a pipe f leading from acompressor f and terminating 'above the surface of the lead. The pipe eends above the dish c in a short pipe g of somewhat wider bore in theaxis of which is a narrow pipek.

A suitable exhaust \valv'e z' having been closed, the pressure of asource of compressed air connected with pipe f forcesthe leadfup pipe e,and discharges it'through pipe g where it may be sprayed into dishSpecication of Letters Patent. Pafljnj;v

conducted through the lead, t

-c by a jet of compressed air through pipe h.r

The metal falls in streams consisting of fine drops through the moltenreagent in cylinder I?, leaves pot a by an overflow spout 7c and isconducted into a suitable receptacle. In .casesa single treatmentdoes'not sufficlently refine the lead the said suitable receptacle vmaybe, as here shown, a second meltlng pot d provided with pipes as alreadydescribed with reference to pot d, so that when this pot d has-receivedall the lead that was in `potwl, this lead may be forced back throughthe reagent, the gutter Z being swung over to discharge the refy finedlead into pot d. yEach of thehpots d, d has on its cover an opening d2capable of being` hermetically closed by a cover da and opened when thepot is to actas receiver. When the lead has been refined the Valve i issufficiently closed to permit the air pressure said invention and thebest means I know of carrying the same into practical effect, I

claim ,i

1. An apparatus for refining metals, comprising a heated pot adapted tocontain the molten metal, a vertical open-ended cylinder adapted tocontain a molten reagent and having its lower end beneath the surface ofthe molten metal in the pot, a distributor at the upper part of thecylinder, and a device for` charging the distributor with the moltenmetal.

2. An apparatus for refining metals, comprising a heated pot adapted tocontain the molten metal, a vertical open-ended cylinder adapted tocontain a molten reagent and having its lower end beneath the surfaceofV the'molten metal in the pot, a distributor at the upper part of thecylinder and an air spray adapted to charge the molten metal to thedistributor while at the same time 'partially oxidizingA the metal.

3. An apparatus for refining metals, com- .prising aheate'd pot adaptedto contain the molten metal, a vertical open-ended cylinder adapted tocontain a molten reagent and having its lower end beneatlithe surface of1 1'0 i Q t j A 1,418,148

the molten metal in the pot, andistributor at n Ltheupper part of thecylinder, two melting potsv at a lower level than the aforesaid pot, adeviceor raising the molten metal from 5 each melting pot to thedistribiltor and a device whereby the lead can be allowed to flow fromthe aforesaid pot toV either melting .po-t, whereby the molten metal maybe trans'- ferred from either melting pot to the other j and may passthrough the molten reagent on 10 its way. y. In testimony whereof I havesigned my name to this specification. 'f

I-IENRY HARRIS.

